TWI891462B - Roller device and roller system for impregnation machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a roller device for impregnation machine, which includes a roller unit, a scraper unit and a glue guide unit. The roller unit is used to move relative to another roller unit to form a gap therebetween with variable size. The scraper unit is disposed around the roller unit for scraping off excess glue on the surface of the roller unit. The glue guide unit is arranged around the roller unit for guiding the glue to flow towards the end of the roller unit. The present invention also provides a roller system including the roller device.

Description

Roller device and roller system for impregnation machine

The present invention relates to a roller device and roller system for an impregnation machine, and more particularly to a roller device and roller system equipped with a rubber conducting unit.

In the field of impregnation technology (also known as coating technology), a conveyor (roller) is used to move the base fabric during processing. If the base fabric is impregnated during processing, as shown in Figure 1, a glue tank B' containing liquid (such as glue G') is typically located at the bottom of the conveyor. This allows the base fabric (not shown) placed on the roller unit 10' to be soaked in the glue tank B' and then rotate upward along the outer periphery of the roller unit 10' to exit the glue tank B'. Therefore, the roller unit 10' at the end of the conveyor must be immersed in glue G' to provide a path for the base fabric to rotate and to tension the base fabric so that it can be moved by the driven roller unit 10'.

As shown in Figure 2A, after roller unit 10' repeatedly drives the base fabric through the process of soaking it in glue G', the glue G' continues to accumulate and solidify at the fabric edges due to the fuzziness of the fabric edges and the surface 11' of roller unit 10'. This ultimately forms a layer of glue G' residue at the fabric edges at both ends of roller unit 10'. This residue can affect the subsequent transport of the base fabric and the metering function of roller unit 10', rendering the gap S' (see Figure 2B) between roller units 10', which controls the thickness of the base fabric after being soaked with glue, inaccurate. Furthermore, the scraper unit 30' used to scrape the roller unit 10' may also suffer rapid wear of the blade 31' due to solidified layered residue.

To avoid the aforementioned technical issues, a conventional technique, as shown in Figure 1, is to place a dropper T for titrating a cleaning solvent A (e.g., acetone) above the glue tank B' and on the upper side of the roller unit 10'. This allows the solvent to flush out any glue G' that has adhered to the fabric edges due to lint, preventing the glue G' from solidifying in a fixed location and ultimately forming a layer. A scraper unit 30' is then used to scrape the glue G' off the surface 11' of the roller unit 10'. However, the continuous titration of the cleaning solvent A may dilute the glue G', already adjusted to a desired concentration within the glue tank B', affecting the properties of the desired glue layer on the base fabric. Furthermore, cleaning solvents such as acetone are an additional cost for the fabric soaking process. Subsequent acetone disposal, such as waste recovery or restoration and environmental atmosphere protection, all increase the cost of the entire process.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for an improved roller device and roller system that can save costs and solve the above-mentioned technical problems without affecting the concentration of glue G' in the glue tank B'.

To address the aforementioned issues, the present invention provides a roller device for an impregnation machine, comprising a roller unit, a scraper unit, and a glue guide unit. The roller unit is configured to move relative to another roller unit, forming a variable gap. The scraper unit is disposed around the roller unit to scrape off excess glue from the surface of the roller unit. The glue guide unit is disposed around the roller unit to guide the glue toward the edge of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the glue guiding unit is arranged in front of the scraper unit along the rotation direction of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the glue guiding unit guides the glue from the surface of the base fabric on the roller unit to the edge of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the glue guiding unit guides the glue from the surface of the base fabric on the roller unit along the surface of the roller unit to the edge of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the glue guide unit is arranged on the support member of the scraper unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the rubber conducting unit includes an adjustment member for adjusting the distance between the plate of the rubber conducting unit and the surface of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the rubber guiding unit includes an adjustment member for adjusting the angle between the plate of the rubber guiding unit and the surface of the roller unit.

In the roller device according to the present invention, the plate of the rubber-conducting unit has a width such that the plate spans the base fabric on the roller unit and the surface of the roller unit.

To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention also provides a roller system for an impregnation machine, which includes at least two roller devices according to the present invention.

The present invention utilizes at least the technical features of a "glue guide unit, disposed around the roller unit, for guiding the glue toward the edge of the roller unit" in combination with a "scraper unit, disposed around the roller unit, for scraping excess glue off the surface of the roller unit." In addition to directly scraping the glue with the scraper unit, the glue guide unit is also used to guide the glue onto the surface of the roller unit. This prevents the glue from remaining on the edge of the base fabric and ensures that it is evenly distributed across the surface of the roller unit. This improves the efficiency of the scraper unit in scraping glue off the glue, and can replace the cleaning solvents used in conventional techniques.

A:Solvent

B, B’: Bearing seat

C: Base fabric

D: Transport direction

DS: distance

E: Selvedge

G, G’: Glue

L: Line perpendicular to the axis of the adjustment piece

O: Swing direction

P: Roller system

R: Rotation direction

S, S’: gap

T:Dropper

W: Width

α, β: Angles

1: Roller device

10, 10’: Roller unit

11, 11’: Surface

12: Edge

13:End

14: Body

20: Adhesive guide unit

21: Panels

211: Scrape the edge

212: Fixed edge

213: Fasteners

22: Upper clamp

23: Lower clamp

24: Pivotable fixing bracket

241: Tail

25: Adjustment parts

251: Operation terminal

252: Reaching the top

26: Adjust the seat

261: Top

27: Connectors

28: Pivot axis

29: Fasteners

30, 30': Scraper unit

31, 31’: Knife

32: Support parts

33: Suspended part

Figure 1 is a side view schematic diagram of a conventional roller system.

Figure 2A is a front view of a drum system known in the art after use.

Figure 2B is a schematic side view of a roller system known in the art after use.

Figure 3A is a front schematic diagram of a roller system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3B is a side view schematic diagram of a roller system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4A is a schematic side view of a glue conductive unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the adhesive conductive unit according to one embodiment of the present invention after the plate has been angle-adjusted by the adjusting member.

Figure 5 is a side view of the roller device after adjusting the adjustment member according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6A is a bottom view of a roller device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6B is a perspective schematic diagram of a roller device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The roller device and roller system of the present invention are described with reference to the following embodiments and drawings. However, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "above," "below," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "front," and "rear" used to describe directions, positions, or orientations are merely used to describe the relative positions of components with reference to the drawings and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims claimed by the present invention. Anyone with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and that the aspects and details of the embodiments may be altered, modified, or substituted without departing from the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims defined in the patent application. Therefore, the interpretation of the scope of the patent application of this invention is not limited by the description of the following embodiments.

In the different embodiments described below, components with the same or similar technical means, functions, and effects are labeled with the same reference numerals. Technical components in different embodiments may be interchangeable or used interchangeably unless there is a conflict.

As shown in Figures 3A and 3B , Figure 3A shows a front schematic diagram of a roller device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3B shows a side schematic diagram of a roller system P having two roller devices 1. The roller system P used in the impregnation machine according to the present invention can have at least two roller devices 1. The roller device 1 includes a roller unit 10, a glue guide unit 20, and a scraper unit 30. As shown in Figure 3B , the roller unit 10 and the roller unit 10 of another roller device move relative to each other and form a variable gap S. This gap S can control the thickness of the base fabric after being soaked in glue G in the conveying direction D of the base fabric, that is, control the amount of glue G adhering to the base fabric, achieving a metering function. The roller unit 10 is a generally cylindrical roller having a smooth surface 11, edges 12 at both ends of the surface 11, and ends 13 extending outward from the edges 12 for connection to a bearing block B. The surface 11 of the roller unit 10 is the working area that actually contacts the base fabric to be processed and faces the surface 11 of another roller unit 10, forming a gap S through which the base fabric passes. As shown in FIG3B , the operating roller unit 10 (the roller unit 10 on the right side of FIG3B ) can rotate along a rotation direction R in a direction opposite to the base fabric feed direction D, while the opposing roller unit 10 (the roller unit 10 on the left side of FIG3B ) similarly rotates in a direction opposite to the base fabric feed direction D. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The roller unit 10 may also rotate in the same direction as the base fabric conveying direction D, i.e., for example, the roller unit 10 on the right side of Figure 3B rotates clockwise. Because the direction of rotation of the roller unit 10 does not completely affect the conveying of the base fabric, a rotation direction substantially opposite to the base fabric conveying direction D is also acceptable.

As shown in Figure 3B , the roller assembly 1 according to the present invention includes a scraper unit 30 that can be positioned around the roller unit 10 to scrape off excess glue G from the surface of the roller unit 10. Specifically, the scraper unit 30 is supported by a support member 32 and positioned on the side of the roller unit 10 opposite the base fabric, i.e., outside the two roller units 10. This ensures that the scraper unit 30 does not interfere with the feed path (feed direction D) of the base fabric. The scraper unit 30 scrapes off any glue G remaining on the surface 11 of the roller unit 10 with each complete rotation of the roller unit 10. The scraper unit 30 may include a blade 31 extending toward the surface 11 of the roller unit 10. The blade 31 and a tangent to the cylindrical surface of the roller unit 10 extend at a specific angle. This allows the relative motion generated by the rotation of the roller unit 10 to shave or scrape away any glue G remaining on the surface 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment; the scraper unit 30 may be positioned anywhere around the roller unit 10 that does not interfere with the conveyance of the base fabric.

The roller device 1 according to the present invention includes a rubber guide unit 20, which is disposed around the roller unit 10 and is used to guide the glue G toward the end 13 of the roller unit 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG3A , the rubber guide unit 20 is disposed around the roller unit 10 without interfering with the transport of the base fabric C. More specifically, as shown in FIG3B , the rubber guide unit 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be disposed below the roller unit 10, i.e., on the side opposite to the transport direction D of the base fabric. In this way, the rubber guide unit 20 does not interfere with the transport path of the base fabric C and does not affect the function of the scraper unit 30. The glue guide unit 20 may include a plate 21 for guiding glue G adhered to the surface 11 of the roller unit 10 toward the edge 12 of the roller unit 10 (see FIG3A ). As shown in FIG3B , the glue guide unit 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention is positioned ahead of the scraper unit 30 along the rotational direction R of the roller unit 10. This allows the glue G to be guided by the plate 21 of the glue guide unit 20 before being scraped off by the blade 31 of the scraper unit 30 as the roller unit 10 rotates in the rotational direction R. This allows the glue G, guided by the plate 21, to be evenly distributed over the base fabric C, the base fabric edge E, and the surface 11 of the roller unit 10 (see Figure 3A), preventing it from accumulating at the base fabric edge E. The blade 31 of the scraper unit 30 can then apply force more efficiently and evenly to scrape excess glue G from the roller unit 10 or base fabric C. This achieves more efficient scraping of the glue G, eliminates the increased costs and environmental pollution associated with the use of cleaning solvents, and extends the service life of the scraper unit 30.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG3A , the glue guiding unit 20 can guide the glue G from the surface of the base fabric C along the surface 11 of the roller unit 10 to the edge 12 of the roller unit 10. Alternatively, in a variant embodiment of the present invention, the glue guiding unit 20 can directly guide the glue G from the surface of the base fabric C on the roller unit 10 to the edge 12 of the roller unit 10.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG3A , the plate 21 of the glue-conducting unit 20 can have a width W sufficient to span the base fabric C on the roller unit 10 and the surface 11 of the roller unit 10. In other words, the plate 21 can span the edge E of the base fabric C, guiding the glue G adhered to the edge E to be at least evenly distributed within the reach of the plate 21. In this embodiment, the width W of the plate 21 can extend beyond the edge 12 of the roller unit 10, allowing the glue G to be guided away from the surface 11 of the roller unit 10. This prevents the glue G from remaining on the roller unit 10, improves the smoothness of the roller unit 10 operation, and thereby increases the yield rate. In a modified embodiment of the present invention, the width W of the plate 21 can be aligned with the edge 12 of the roller unit 10, allowing the adhesive conductive unit 20 and other components to be arranged more compactly without interfering with the operation of other components, such as the roller unit 10 and the scraper unit 30.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG3A , the body 14 of the roll unit 10 can have a width of, for example, 1300 to 1600 millimeters (mm), preferably 1500 mm. The width of the base fabric C can be smaller than the width of the body 14, for example, 1200 to 1400 mm, preferably 1300 mm. The width W of the plate 21 can be, for example, between 20 mm and 50 mm, preferably 35 mm. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The width of the body 14 of the roller unit 10 can be designed based on the width of the base fabric C, according to process requirements. The width of the body 14 is larger than that of the base fabric C, leaving the surfaces 11 on both sides of the body 14 uncovered by the base fabric C. This ensures that the base fabric C does not escape from the body 14 during transport and passes entirely through the gap S formed by the two roller units 10 (see Figure 3B). The width W of the plate 21 is then designed based on the extent of the surfaces 11 on both sides of the body 14 that remain uncovered by the base fabric C. As described above, the width W spans the base fabric C, the selvedge E, and the surface 11, and is flush with or extends beyond the edge 12.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG3B , the rubber conductive unit 20 may include a connector 27 . The connector 27 allows the rubber conductive unit 20 to be mounted on the support member 32 of the scraper unit 30 . More specifically, a hanging portion 33 may be formed on the support member 32 , allowing the connector 27 of the rubber conductive unit 20 to be secured to the hanging portion 33 , for example, by screwing, snapping, or adhesive. In this embodiment, the hanging portion 33 is integrally formed with the support member 32 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other variations, the hanging portion 33 may also be secured to the support member 32 by screwing, snapping, or adhesive.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG4A , which shows a side view of a conductive adhesive unit 20, the conductive adhesive unit 20 may include a plate 21, an upper clamp 22, a lower clamp 23, a pivotable mounting bracket 24, an adjustment member 25, an adjustment seat 26, and a connector 27. The plate 21 may be clamped by the upper clamp 22 and the lower clamp 23. The upper clamp 22 and the lower clamp 23 may be secured by fasteners such as screws, sandwiching a portion of the plate 21 therebetween. In this embodiment, the upper clamp 22 and the lower clamp 23 may be connected to one end of the pivotable mounting bracket 24. The upper and lower clamps 22, 23 are fixedly connected to the pivotable mounting bracket 24, preventing relative movement between the upper and lower clamps 22, 23, and thus the plate 21, and the pivotable mounting bracket 24. In this embodiment, the upper and lower clamps 22, 23 are removably connected to the pivotable mounting bracket 24; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. In other variations of the present invention, as shown in FIG4A , the upper clamp 22 has the pivotable mounting bracket 24 pivotally connected to the adjustment base 26 at its end opposite the end connected to the upper and lower clamps 22, 23. The other end of the pivotable mounting bracket 24 can be inserted into the adjustment base 26 and secured thereto via a pivot 28. The adjusting member 25 may be arranged to pass through the top 261 of the adjusting seat 26 and abut against the other end of the pivotable fixing frame 24 . The operating end 251 of the adjusting member 25 is exposed from the top 261 of the adjusting seat 26 ; and the abutting end 252 of the adjusting member 25 abuts against the other end of the pivotable fixing frame 24 . The position where the abutting end 252 abuts the pivotable bracket 24 is closer to the rear end 241 of the pivotable bracket 24 than to the pivot axis 28. This allows the pivotable bracket 24 to rotate clockwise around the pivot axis 28 when the adjusting member 25 is fully screwed or inserted into the adjusting base 26 until the other end of the pivotable bracket 24, which is inserted into the adjusting base 26, is fully seated and accommodated within the adjusting base 26, so that the plate 21 and the adjusting base 26 are approximately level with each other.

Figure 4B shows the adhesive conductive unit 20 after the plate 21 has been angle-adjusted by the adjustment member 25. In this state, the adjustment member 25 is not fully locked or screwed into the top of the adjustment base 26. As the adjustment member 25 leaves its deepest position, the pivotable bracket 24 experiences a greater torque on the components or portions to the left of the pivot 28 than on the right, causing the pivotable bracket 24 to rotate counterclockwise around the pivot 28. In other words, when the adjustment member 25 no longer presses against the rear end 241 to its deepest position, the pivotable bracket 24 is subjected to the torque generated by the weight of the portion of the bracket 24 to the left of the pivot axis 28 and the connected components (plate 21, upper clamp 22, and lower clamp 23), causing it to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 4A to the position shown in FIG. 4B . As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , the angle α between the plane of the plate 21 and the axis of the adjustment base 26 (or the horizontal line in FIG. 4B , or the line L perpendicular to the axis of the adjustment member 25) gradually increases.

Continuing with the above, FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of the roller assembly 1 after adjusting the adjustment member 25. By adjusting the angle α, the adjustment member 25 can indirectly adjust the angle β between the plate 21 of the rubber guide unit 20 and the tangent line to the surface 11 of the roller unit 10. Thus, the adjustment member 25 can also adjust the distance DS between the plate 21 of the rubber guide unit 20 and the surface 11 of the roller unit 10. In this embodiment, the distance DS can be adjusted based on the properties of the glue (e.g., rheological properties such as viscosity, surface tension, and compressibility) or the material of the plate 21 (e.g., stainless steel, carbon steel, brass, plastic, polyurethane, nylon, ceramic, or fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP)). The distance DS is, for example, within a range of 0.5 to 5 mm, preferably 1 mm.

Continuing from the above, specifically, as shown in Figure 4B, the other end of the pivotable fixing bracket 24 can be inserted into the adjustment base 26 and connected to the adjustment base 26 via the pivot 28.

In another embodiment of the glue-dispensing unit 20 of the present invention, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B , an upper clamp 22 and a lower clamp 23 are secured by fixing members 213, such as screws, and a portion of a plate 21 is sandwiched therebetween. In this embodiment, the plate 21 may include a scraping edge 211 for scraping glue and a fixing edge 212 fixed between the upper and lower clamps 22, 23. The scraping edge 211 may be inclined relative to the fixing edge 212, meaning that the two edges are non-parallel. This allows the plate 21 to contact the surface of the roller unit or the base fabric at different angles, thereby achieving a more comprehensive glue scraping effect.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG6B , the adhesive conducting unit 20 may include a connecting member 27 having a length substantially equal to that of the upper clamping member 22 or the lower clamping member 23 . The connecting member 27 may be a long, rectangular plate and secured, for example, to the hanging portion 33 of the scraper unit 30 or directly to the bracket B (see FIG3B ) via a fixing hole therein.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B , the rubber-conducting unit 20 may further include a fixing member 29 at its rear end (i.e., the end opposite the plate 21) to secure the pivotable fixing member 24 within the adjustment base 26. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6A , the rear end 241 of the pivotable fixing member 24, housed within the adjustment base 26, mates with an inner channel (not shown) of the adjustment base 26 with some clearance, allowing the plate 21 to be adjusted along a swing direction O in conjunction with the pivotable fixing member 24. After adjusting the position in the swing direction O, the fixing member 29 can be locked to secure the pivotable fixing member 24, thereby fixing the relative position of the plate 21 with respect to other components. This allows for an adjustment mechanism for the position of the plate 21, allowing the position of the plate 21 to be adjusted without removing the connector 27, thus increasing the smoothness and convenience of the operation.

The content disclosed above is merely one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. Any equivalent technical variations made by applying the contents of the description and drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

B: Bearing seat

C: Base fabric

E: Selvedge

W: Width

1: Roller device

10: Roller unit

11: Surface

12: Edge

13:End

14: Body

20: Adhesive guide unit

21: Panels

Claims (9)

A roller device for an impregnation machine comprises: a roller unit configured to move relative to another roller unit to form a variable gap; a scraper unit disposed around the roller unit to scrape off excess glue from the surface of the roller unit; and a glue guide unit disposed around the roller unit to guide the glue toward the edge of the roller unit. The glue guide unit guides the glue from the surface of the base fabric on the roller unit to the edge of the roller unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the glue guide unit is arranged in front of the scraper unit along the rotation direction of the roller unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the glue guiding unit guides the glue from the surface of the base cloth on the roller unit along the surface of the roller unit to the edge of the roller unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the glue guide unit is arranged on the supporting member of the scraper unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the rubber conducting unit includes an adjusting member for adjusting the distance between the plate of the rubber conducting unit and the surface of the roller unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the rubber conducting unit includes an adjusting member for adjusting the angle between the plate of the rubber conducting unit and the surface of the roller unit. The roller device as described in claim 1, wherein the plate of the rubber conductive unit has a width such that the plate spans the base fabric on the roller unit and the surface of the roller unit. A roller device as described in claim 7, wherein the width of the plate exceeds the edge of the roller unit. A roller system for an impregnation machine, comprising at least two roller devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.